Magnetic pad box



Nov. 20, 1956 'J.*S. KAMBORIAN MAGNETIC PAD BOX Filed Jan. 28, 1953 4 2 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 20, 1956 J. S. KAMBORIAN MAGNETIC PAD BOX Filed Jan. 28, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jaco/ fh/*marian dn, i

United States Patent O MAGNETIC PAD BOX Jacob S. Kamborian, West Newton, Mass. Application January 28, 1953, Serial No. 333,739

11 Claims. (Cl. 12-38) This invention relates to machines for applying conforming, leveling and/or attaching pressure to shoe soles and more especially to a device for operating on shoe bottoms which may freely be substituted in place for the pad boxes used in the machines described in my copending applications for patent, Serial No. 315,031, filed October 16, 1952, and Serial No. 357,764, filed May 27, 1953.

In the foregoing applications the conforming pressure is effected hydraulically, in one instance by holding a shoe against an elastic diaphragm and inflating the diaphragm so as to cause it to wrap itself about the shoe bottom and in the other instance by sinking the shoe into the diaphragm sufficiently to swell it into engagement with the bottom and side walls thereof. In each case the diaphragm is backed by a substantially incompressible fluid. An object of the present invention is to provide a device which will afford the advantageous characteristics of the foregoing pad boxes and in addition will provide for a permanent or semi-permanent mold for receiving and retaining an impression of a shoe bottom of the desired contour and means cooperable therewith for pressing other shoes requiring leveling into pressure engagement therewith to cause the bottom of the shoe to conform to the impression. Other objects are to provide a device to which an impression of the desired configuration may be imparted accurately and very quickly and as quickly may be eradicated and reformed to a different configuration. Still another object is to provide a device which will not only be capable of taking and retaining an impression but will yieldably receive an impression of predetermined shape and size so as to conform to a part applied thereto on first impression. Other objects are to provide a device of simple and durable construction which may be used for sole attaching, sole leveling and sole laying operations, which will adapt itself to all sizes and shapes of shoes without adjustment and which may be adapted to apply heat during the conforming operation.

As herein illustrated the device has a work-receiving' surface receptive of deformation so as to receive an impression of a shoe bottom when the latter is pressed thereinto, and selectively may be caused to retain the impression or give it up for a different impression. The workreceiving surface is constituted by a bed of fluid or pastelike material susceptible of magnetization and preferably has an overlying covering of elastic material in the form of a diaphragm, which is adapted to yield elastically to take the shape of the impression imparted to the underlying impressionable material. The diaphragm may be sheet plastic or sheet rubber. Where the sheet material is elastic, means is associated with it to cause it to adhere to the surface contour of the impressionable material when the latter is rigidied so that it will not spring back from the impression when the work is removed. Such means may be in the form of magnetizable or non-magnetizable appendages fast to the under-side of the diaphragm which are pressed into the body of the impressionable material during formation of the recess and Will be locked upon rigidification of the impressionable ICC material to hold the diaphragm in close contact with the recess. The fluid material is rendered partially or wholly rigid so as to retain an impression imparted thereto by magnetization and may be a mixture of magnetizable particles with oil or a dry powder. Preferably, the uid material is contained in a rigid box within which there is an underlying coil and core and the rigidifying of the lluid material is effected by exciting the coil so as to produce a magnetic field. Preferably, the material is kept partially magnetized at all times so that it will not become displaced out of useful position.

While the invention is described in an application particularly applicable to machines for operating on parts of shoes, it has a wide variety of kindred uses wherein molding and/or conforming operations are expedient.

The device will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein,

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of the pad box with a shoe resting thereon;

Fig. 2 Vis a transverse vertical section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal Vertical section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical section taken longitudinally of a pad box of alternative construction;

Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal section of the modied construction for the pad box wherein a cushion is interposed between the bed and the coil and core;

Fig. 6 is a vertical section through a diaphragm showing magnetizable means for holding the diaphragm in contact with the bed;

Fig. 7 is a vertical section through an alternative form of the diaphragm;

Fig. 8 is a vertical section through still another alternative construction;

Fig. 9 is a vertical section through a diaphragm showing mechanical means for holding the diaphragm in contact with the bed; and

Fig. l0 is a vertical section Ithrough a diaphragm showing another form of mechanical means.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 which illustrate the application of the invention to shoe manufacture, the device which is useful for such operations `as sole attaching, sole leveling and sole pressing or conforming operations is in the form of a rigid, substantially rectangular metal box, cast or fabricated depending upon which is more exp-edient, having a bottom 12 and side and end Walls 14 and 16, the box being made fast to a rigid plate or platform 18 which may be the pad box supporting plate of the rotary machine shown in my copending application Serial No. 315,031, filed October 16, 1952, or the bracket supports for the pad boxes of my vertical two-station machine as shown in my copending application'Serial No. 357,764, filed May 27, 1953. The box is open at the top and constitutes a container for receiving a core 20, a surrounding coil 22 and a bed of impressionable material 24 superposed thereon and lling the box. The core 20 is a comparatively long, narrow iron bar of rectangular cross section set in one of its narrow edges in the bottom of the box so as to be symmetrically located with reference to the walls of the box. The coil 22 consists of turns of wire wound about the bar, the thicknessof the coil being progressively increased at its upper side for a thickness corresponding to the height of the core toward the wall of the box. The bed 24 of impressionable `material is fluid, the term uid being used in its broadest sense to mean having particles which easily move and change their relative position without separation of the mass, and which easily yields to pressure and may consist of a mixture of magnetizable particles with oil so as to be of paste-like consistency or a dry powder, the particles of which are suiiiciently fine to have fluid-like char-- acteristics. The. magnetizable particles are preferably powdered iron particles. However it is to be understood that magnetizable particles of any suitable kind may be used. Furthermore, sufficient oil or other suitable vehicle may be employed so that the mixture is a viscous liquid.

Current is supplied to the coil in suitable manner and when the latter is excited a closed magnetic circuit will be set up through the core or pole piece 20, through the plastic iron bed 24, from thence through the walls 14 and 16 of the box downwardly through the bottom 12. of the box and back to the core thus completing the circuit. Such a magnetic circuit is called a shell type one as one portion of the circuit constitutes a shell around the winding. lt will be *clear that if` the iron powder bed is removed the tops of the walls of the box will represent one pole for the magnet, the other pole being the top of the core. The core may be made up of one or more pole pieces.

A ferromagnetic plastic body such as the paste-like composition of iron particles in oil or the dry iron particles as employed herein is not necessarily rigidiiied by applying a magnetic field thereto. That is, by varying the intensity of the magnetic field the condition of the bed may be varied throughout a range varying from soft almost uid plasticity to rigid immobility. A minimum magnetization will hold the particles together as a coherent mass while a maximum magnetization will immobilize the particles so as Vto form a rigid body.

For mostpurposes it is desirable to maintain aslight magnetizationl in the material at all times since when there is a total absence of magnetization the magnetizable material has little strength in itself and hence if the box is moved'in a closed path about a horizontal axis as it wouldl be if used in my multi-station machine it would spill out. Furthermore, even when a diaphragm is employed tocover the box some magnetization is desirable for if not the material may be displaced within the box towardone end or the other `and hence not be in a useful position when required. A slight magnetization will keep the bed in a soft paste-like consistency thus preventing loss by spilling even though the box may be inverted or displacement of the material so as to be out of useful position.

For the purpose of shoemaking it is desirable to place a thin flexible somewhat elastic diaphragm over the impressionable"material so as to retain the material in useful position and so that it will not stick to the shoe and/ or soil the same in the event that oil is mixed with the powder. The diaphragm consists of a thin pliable elastic member 26 (Fig. 4) clamped to the open -edge of the box by a clamping frame 28. Y

For the purpose of sole leveling the bed is rendered plastic by reducing lthe current in the coil or by cutting it off completely and is then leveled by pressing a flat plate against its surface. Having leveled the bed a sample preleveled shoe is pressed into the surface thereof, the latter being mounted on an appropriate last L (Figs. 2 and 3).y The shoe may be pressed and/or held pressed into the surf-ace by hold-down members I which engage the toe and heel ends of the lasts. After the surface of the bred has been properly impressed so that an impression is made corresponding to the bottom of the shoe and While the shoe is still held in place the bed is rigidified so as to retain the impression of the shoe by exciting the coil 22. The shoe is then removed and the bed is` ready for use in leveling a number of unleveled shoes of the same `4size and style which may be placed therein and forced to conform to the bed by applying pressure to the shoe through the hold-down means. Thusexactly the samer leveling kmay be secured in any given run of shoes. As a practical matter once the bed has been formed to take the shape of a shoe of predetermined size it can be used successfully to operate on shoes of several sizes on either side of the shoe originally employed to make the impression since the length land width will vary by little more than one-sixth and one-third of an inch repeatedly. For example, if an impression for `a 91/2 shoe is made this impression may be employed for leveling the shoes in the range from 91/2 down to 71/2 without having to reform the bed or bottom of the impression. The same impression may also be used for larger sizes, that is ranging from 91/2 up to 121/2 without completely reforming the bottom of the recess by partially deenergizing the bed so that the edges of the recess are softened and then pressing the larger shoes into the recess with sufficient force to reform the edges only, leaving the bottom as originally formed whereby the recess is resoliditied by restoring the maximum magnetization.

Bottom attaching may be carried out in the same fashion, that is a sample shoe may be used to make a proper impression in the bed whereupon the bed may be set by exciting the coil 22. Thereafter, the sample shoe may be removed and shoes to which bottoms are to be attached with a sole temporarily adhesively tacked thereto is placed in the impression and subjected to pressure to cause the sole to be permanently attached thereto.

Conforming pressure may be applied without making an initial impression if desired. Thus, the bed is first smoothed off so as to be substantially level and then the winding is excited to effect a partial rigidifi'cation of the bed but still leaving it plastic enough so that it is susceptible to impression when pressure is applied. An unleveled or unconformed shoe is now pressed into the bed with sufficient force to break down those portions of the bed that make initial contact with the sole so as to allow other yportions of the sole to come into contact with the stiifened plastic bed until finally all parts of the shoe have contact with both the bed and the bottom surface of the shoe. When uniform contact has been secured throughout the entire surface to be operated upon, the current is raised to a maximum value to rigidify the bed and the pressure on the last is raised to a maximum value to impart leveling, laying or conforming pressure thereto. rThis use of the bed makes it particularly useful for operating upon an order of shoes where there are frequent changes in size, style and make of shoe.

ln Figs. 2, 3 and 4, the powdered metal is shown as disposed directly on top of the core and coil. The force applied to the top of the lasted shoes by the jack when the jack is brought down to press the shoe into the bed is quite high and sometimes the shoe is forced so far down into the bed that it actually strikes against the top of the core or coils or so nearly comes in contact with them as to interfere with proper conformation and sometimes damages the shoe. Accordingly, in the modified form of the p'ad box as shown in Fig. 5 either with or without the diaphragm 2o, a thick rubber cushion 4t) is placed over the core and coil so as to lie between the powdered metal and the core and coil. This rubber cushion is preferably about an inch thick and is comprised of a soft rubber which will yield under pressure so that even though the body of metal particles above it is quite thin the cavity produced by pressing the shoe into the metal will be complete and accurate.

In the form of the pad box shown in Fig. 4 and as also illustrated in Fig. 5 wherein a diaphragm is employed it is desirable to maintain the diaphragm 26 in contact with the powdered metal at all times so that the operator can see the cavity in which the shoe is to be placed without having to guess where it is. Many of the synthetic plastic materials are flexible but not especially elastic hence when depressed by pressing the shoe thereinto, will remain depressed, that is, in contact with the depression in the powder metal bed. Preferably, however, the diaphragm is comprised of an elastic material and when such a diaphragm is depressed it will naturally spring back from the depression in the metal as soon as the shoe is lifted away from it thus drumming across the depression and Ahiding it from the operator so that he does not know whether there is a depression in the bed or n'ot, and

if there is a depression, its exact location. It is desirable therefore to provide means for causing the diaphragm whether elastic or not to cling to the surface of the recess after the depression is made and the bed is set, and this may be done either magnetically or mechanically.

In Figs. 6, 7 and 8 there are shown three forms of diaphragm provided with magnetically attractive means which will hold the diaphragm in contact with the wall of the recess when the bed is magnetized. In Fig. 6 the diaphragm is shown as comprised of two sheets 42 and 44 of suitable material cemented together face to face. Prior to joining the sheets metal elements 46 having heads 4S and shank S0 are inserted through the sheet 44 so that the shank extends from one side thereof. By cementing the sheet 42 to the upper side of the sheet 44 the elements are retained in place and the upper surface of the composite sheet forming the diaphragm is free of obstructions. Wh'en a diaphragm with these elements is employed the shank portions 50 of the elements extend into the body of metal powder. Upon application of pressure to the diaphragm to press the shoe into the bed the shanks of the elements 46 will be forced into the bed to different depths depending upon the shape of the recess and upon rigidication of the bed, by energizing the coil the Shanks will be magnetically locked so that the diaphragm cannot possibly pull away from the wall of the recess. In Fig. 7 the elements 46 are illustrated as molded into a single sheet 52 of rubber or other elastic substance. In Fig. 8 instead of using members which have appendages projecting from the underside of the sheet a metal screen 54 is molded into the diaphragm material which will be attracted by the magnetic field so as to hold the diaphragm in contact with the recess. The several metallic elements illustrated for causing the diaphragm to adhere to the bed may be varied both in size, distribution and mode of attachment without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Sometimes it may be found desirable to use mechanical means for holding the diaphragm in contact with the recess and such means is illustrated in Figs. 9 and l0. In Fig. 9 the diaphragm material 55 has molded integral or otherwise fastened thereto knobs 56 which will anchor the diaphragm to the bed upon being pressed into it and upon solidification of the bed under magnetization. In place of the knobs 56 appendages 58, for example, cords may be fastened to the underside of the diaphragm material 55.

The foregoing are illustrative only of various Ways in which the diaphragm may be caused to conform closely to the recess in the bed for it is intended that any means for accomplishing this result is within the scope of the present invention.

In its various uses, the important features are the ease with which the depressions of varying size and shape may be obtained due to the fact that a wide range of plasticity may be had by controlling the magnetization, the readiness with which it may be modified for different sizes and shapes which makes it particularly useful where frequent change-overs are encountered thereby eliminating expensive dies and tools and the uniformity of the leveling, laying or attaching that is attained thereby. It further provides substantially a single device for a variety of uses, since it is variable in minute detail and is inexpensive to manufacture and maintain in operating condition.

In the leveling of shoes, the application of heat along with pressure is sometimes found to be advantageous, especially when the sole is to be attached with a thermosetting adhesive. Accordingly, the device may be heated to a suitable temperature to effect bonding, care being taken not to raise the temperature to a point which will adversely affect the leather or the magnetic physical properties of the powdered iron.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is for the purpose of illustration only and that this invention includes all modifications and equivalents which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. In an apparatus for app-lying conforming pressure to shoe bottoms, a pad box, a body of iron powder mixed with oil to paste-like consistency contained in the pad box, a flexible diaphragm stretched across the top of the box, said diaphragm and body subjacent thereto being displaceable to take an impression corresponding to that of a shoe to which conforming pressure is to be applied Iand means operable independently of the pressure brought to bear on the body by pressing the shoe bottom thereinto for immobilizing the entire volume of said body after the impression is imparted thereto.

2. Apparatus for applying conforming pressure to a shoe bottom comprising a magnetizable pad box open at the top, a magnetizable core within said box, a magnetizing winding Within said box surrounding said core, and a bed of iron powder superposed on said core and winding, said bed being deformable to a given shape when lightly magnetized and hardenable in said shape when strongly magnetized.

3. In an apparatus for applying conforming pressure to a shoe bottom, a box having a yieldingly impressionable material therein susceptible of receiving an impression, a diaphragm subtending the box and the material, said diaphragm being elastically yieldable to take the shape of an object pressed into the impressionable material, means operable to render the impressionable material rigid or yielding and means carried by the diaphragm operable to cause the diaphragm to adhere to the material when the latter is made rigid and to be released from the material when the latter is made yielding.

4. In an apparatus for applying conforming pressure to a shoe bottom, a box having an impressionable material therein susceptible of receiving an impression, a diaphragm subtending the box and the material, said diaphragm being elastically yieldable to take the shape of an object pressed into the impressionable material, means for setting the impressionable material in Whatever form it takes, and appendages associated with the underside of the diaphragm, portions of which are adapted to be imbedded in the impressionable material when the impression is imparted thereto, and to be retained thereby when the impressionable material is rigidified.

5. In an apparatus for applying conforming pressure to a shoe bottom, a box Ihaving an impressionable material therein susceptible of receiving an impression, a diaphragm subtending the box and the material, said diaphragm being elastically yieldable to take the shape of an object pressed into the impressionable material,

means for setting the impressionable material in whatever form it takes, and metal elements fastened to the diaphragm so as to have portions projecting from the underside into the bed of impressionable material.

6. ln an apparatus for applying conforming pressure to a shoe bottom, a box having an impressionable material therein, susceptible of receiving an impression, a diaphragm subtending the box and the material, said diaphragm being elastically yieldable to take the shape of an object pressed into the impressionable material, and means for settin-g the impressionable material in whatever form it takes, said diaphragm being comprised of a pair of superposed sheets united face to face, and metal elements .thrust through one of the sheets, said elements having heads located between the sheets and Shanks extending from one side o-f the composite sheet.

7. In an apparatus for app-lying conforming pressure to a shoe bottom, a box having an impressionable material therein, susceptible of receiving `an impression, a diaphragm subtending the box and the material, said diaphragm being elastically yieldable to take the shape of an object pressed into the impressionable material, and means for setting the impressionable material in Whatever form it takes, said diaphragm having molded into it metal elements, said elements having heads embedded in the diaphragm and Shanks extending from one side.

` 8. In` an apparatus for applying conforming pressure to a shoe bottom, a box having .an impressionable material therein, susceptible of receiving an impression, a diaphragm subtending the box and the material, said diaphragm being elastically yieldable to take the shape of an object pressed into the impressionable material, and means for setting the impressionable material in whatever form it takes, said diaphragm having -a exible metal member molded into the substance thereof.

9. In an apparatus for applying conforming pressure to a shoe bottom, a box having an impressionable material therein, susceptible lof receiving an impression, a diaphragm subtending the box and the material, said diaphragm'vbeing elastically yieldable to take the shape of an object pressed into the impressionable material, and means for setting the impressionable material in Whatever form it takes, said ydiaphragm having on its underside a plurality of nubs having enlarged heads.

10. In an apparatus for applying conforming pressure to a shoe bottom, a box having an impressionable material therein, susceptible of receiving an impression, a diaphragm subtending the box and the material, said diaphragm being elastically yieldable to take the shape of an object pressed into the impressionable material, and

means for setting the impressionable material in Whatever form it takes, said diaphragm having on its underside a plurality of flexible, elongate appendages.

11. In an apparatus for applying conforming pressure to a shoe bottom, a box containing an electromagnetic coil, a bed of magnetic material in the box above the magnetic coil substantially filling the box, a pad of elastic material disposed between ,and separating lthe bed from the electromagnetic coil so as to absorb pressure applied to the bed when the shoe is pressed into its surface and means for supplying energy to the electromagnetic coil.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,012,272 Finn Aug. 27, 1935 2,057,039 MacDonald Oct. 13, 1936 2,057,040 MacDonald Oct. 13, 1936 2,102,688 Finn Dec. `21, 1937 2,207,020 MacDonald July 9, 1940 2,488,922 Mead Nov. 22, 1949 2,499,324 Mead Feb. 28, 1950 2,579,896 Ashley Dec. 25, 1951 2,581,489 Kilham Jan. 8, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 165,104 Great Britain Dec. 22, 1921 167,473 Great Britain May 25, 1922 OTHER REFERENCES National Bureau of Standards Bulletin, June 1949, New Uses for Magnetic Fluids, pages 74-76. 

